If you want a say in what the City of Tacoma plans for the future of Hilltop’s Martin Luther King Jr. business district, there’s a meeting this week you should attend.

The city is inviting local residents to offer their input on how the area that extends from Division Avenue to South 25th Street along along Martin Luther King Jr. Way should be developed. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Evergreen State Community College, Tacoma Campus, 1210 6th Ave., Room 105.

That area includes two major medical campuses, MultiCare Medical Center and St. …

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Today’s Sunday Business section featured a report on the Tacoma business community’s reaction to proposed changes to city code when it comes to large-scale retail businesses.

Part of that report referenced a 2006 study published by the American Planning Association that outlines best practices for governments when it comes to big box stores. I included a few references to it in my story, but the report is really interesting. I thought some readers might want to read it, too.

A copy of that 69-page report is below.

UPDATE, Feb. 6, 10:55 a.m.: The American Planning Association has asked that …

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Big-box stores and other large retail development would face a new set of hurdles before being allowed to build in Tacoma, under proposed rules presented Tuesday to the City Council.

Tacoma should create a new, “conditional use permit” requirement for development larger than 45,000-square-feet, about the size of Tacoma’s Best Buy store, according to recommendations from the city’s Planning Commission. In addition, such developments also would be required to have more review of parking, site layout, traffic and plans for building re-use should it become vacant.

Finally developers of such buildings could be required to have community meetings about …

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Instead of a six-story retail and apartment complex on the site of a shuttered restaurant, a sports pub will spice up the corner of Sixth Avenue and Alder.

The Overtime Bar and Grill is headed for a spring opening, said Chuck Bayha, who has managed Tacoma’s Paddy Coyne’s Irish Pub and worked in pull-tab consulting.

The theme is a higher end sports pub, with pull-tabs and a menu of burgers and steaks. He said last week that he plans to remodel the former ABC Chinese restaurant, but some key pieces of the restaurant operation are in good shape including …

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Looks like 2012 will be the Year of Meh.

According to an economic forecast presented this morning at the annual Horizons Breakfast, Pierce County’s economy will grow for the second year in a row. But it won’t feel good.

People still will have trouble finding a job. Business profits will stagnate. The housing market will continue to hurt.

This is what healing feels like after a such a wounding Recession. (I’m taking a liberty here and capitalizing it, since we capitalize the Great Depression.)

Soon-to-be former state economist Arun Raha, one of the keynote speakers, said this year’s income …

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A former construction supplies marketer and his wife, a computer technology manager, plan to open a store specializing in backyard birdfeeding and nature specialty items on Puyallup’s South Hill.

Greg Cole said today he and his wife Kecia, will open a Wild Birds Unlimited store about March 1. The site, in the Meridian Place Shopping Center at 4621 S Meridian St., formerly housed a jewelry store. The Coles are remodeling the store now.

Greg Cole said he and his wife had always had a strong interest in nature. When the construction business softened, they decided to buy a franchise for …

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Cleanup of contaminated soil is emerging as one of the leading concerns of property owners in south downtown as the City of Tacoma begins a two-year master planning process.

Overall at least two dozen oral and written comments have been submitted about what the City of Tacoma should consider as it begins a process that could pre-approve up to 30 million square feet of new development.

But city planner Ian Munce said this morning that property owners in the area have pointed out in meeting after meeting that any new development in south downtown will have to mitigate the …

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Now’s the time to tell the City of Tacoma how you think south downtown should develop.

A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday as part of the public “scoping” period, when city planners are gathering as many comments as possible to guide the preparation of a broad environmental impact statement and sub-area plan. If the environmental impact statement ultimately is approved, it will allow individual developers to skip the costly and time-consuming step of doing environmental studies on their own.

This scoping period is an essential part of the start of a two-year master planning process that could lead …

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